Straight from The Kitchen

COAST COOKING

by Akshay Patel

COCONUT FISH CURRY

Photo by Lucy Munene

Inspired by coastal ingredients, coconut fish curry is a timeless comforting dish. The simplicity of this dish allows it to be versatile whether you are cooking for a family of 4 or a party of 20. You may be tempted to cook the fish in the curry sauce, however boiling is aggressive, it may overcook the fish. The secret to having a good contrast of textures in this dish is to sear the fish in a pan and assemble the curry and fish when serving. The strong punch of Indian spices and sweet coconut cream create a perfect balance for your palate.

INGREDIENTS

• 4 Onions processed to fine pulp

• 3 Tomatoes processed to fine pulp

• 3 Tbsp. garlic paste

• 2 Tbsp. ginger paste

• 2 Green chilli finely chopped

• 4 Tbsp. home-made spice blend (read below for recipe)

• 200 ml coconut cream

• 6 Tbsp. cooking oil

• Salt

• 1 Tbsp. turmeric powder

• 1 Lime

• 1 Tsp. red chilli powder

• 750 Gms tilapia/Nile perch/ red snapper/ cod - medium-sized fillets

• Large fresh red chilli for serving (garnish) Fresh coriander for garnish

METHOD:

1. For the spice blend: In a hot pan, add 1 Tbsp. of black peppercorns, 2 Tbsp. cumin seeds, 1 small cinnamon stick, 1 Tbsp. cloves and 2 bay leaves. Roast them for 1 minute on low heat. Grind them to a fine powder.

2. Mix the fillets of fish in about 1 Tsp. of salt and lime juice, 1 Tsp. turmeric powder, 1 Tsp. red chilli powder, 1 Tbsp. garlic paste in a bowl and rest them aside.

3. In a pan on medium heat, add 2 Tbsp. cooking oil. Once hot, pan roast the fish fillets. Cook them to about 75% done on one side (about 4 minutes). Then flip them over to finish them off (1~2) minutes. Rest them aside.

4. In a pot, on medium heat, add 4 Tbsp. cooking oil. Once the cooking oil is hot, add ginger paste, garlic paste and chopped green chillies and saute for about 10 seconds. Add pulped onions and cook until they lose some of their water content and start turning light brown. Then add the powdered spice blend and cook for a further 60 seconds.

5. Add the pulped tomatoes, 1 Tbsp. turmeric, 1 Tbsp. chilli powder and cook for about 6 minutes and stir every ~2 minutes. Remove from heat and add coconut cream. Once stirred well, on low heat, simmer the curry for a further 4 minutes. 6. Serve the fish on a pond of curry with coriander and thin slices of fresh red chilli scattered all over. With an optional dash of coconut cream.